A SIX HOUR LAW. 271 



without beneficially acting upon all. But in their 

 case, to make the change complete, and to best con- 

 serve the general welfare, special legislation will be 

 required ; such as will, also, affect the whole landed 

 interest of the nation, to the discussion of which 

 another chapter is devoted. 



That these effects will follow the enactment of the 

 six hour law may be counted as certain as that day 

 follows night. And in no other way can these things 

 be accomplished. The whole movement may be ef- 

 fected without a clash. Indeed, no opportunities will 

 be presented for collisions of any nature ; nor even for 

 bitterness. There will be no confiscations, no arbitrary 

 exercise of power. It will be simply, that under the 

 operation of law, bearing equally on all, the people 

 will go into regular and remunerative employment, 

 which will necessarily compel a radical change in all 

 business operations that depend upon a half employed 

 and idle community for success. 



But the law here proposed can not go into opera- 

 tion without ''encountering some real difficulties, and 

 more that are purely imaginary. Of the imaginary 

 difficulties the one most sure to be encountered, and 

 at the same time the most groundless as well as 

 thoughtless, is the objection which declares that the 

 hours of labor must not be shortened because it will 

 give to laborers more time to spend in saloons and all 

 manner of dissipations. These objectors forget that 

 under present conditions one half of those who should 

 be at work, for want of employment, may now pass 

 their whole time in saloons and dissipation ; whilst 

 those who have constant work are driven by the ex- 



